UAAP Season 76 for the Green Archers

This is one game late already and I am very sorry for the delay in setting up one.

Nevertheless, I hope the team gets behind that nerve-wracking loss to the Tigers last Saturday. From one good wing gunner in Jeric Teng to another in Sam Marata. The Green Archers cannot put themselves ahead in their game on Sunday against their arch-rivals and instead take it one game at a time for now. I think UP can pull off surprises here especially if Chris Ball can contribute also in the offensive end. Soyud will be the primary option for UP inside but I think he will be challenged by Norbert, Arnold, and Jason.

Aside from Soyud, I don't see anyone from UP being an offensive option inside the paint so the Archers must prevent UP from being comfortable hitting perimeter jumpers just like what Jeric did to La Salle's defense last Saturday. I think Marata can also do the same and he's got more offensive moves now than before so the defense just cannot stand in there and mark his shooting spots on the floor. The good thing there is more or less his former teammates in Taft Avenue know how he moves, especially off the ball so I hope I don't get to see Sam getting his catches from screens set up for him.

Like I always say to my basketball friends, it will be important for La Salle to knock down its open jumpers. Norbert, Arnold, and Jason will always be doubled inside so most of the time the ball will be kicked out to the perimeter guys, if Thomas and Almond will miss those gimmes, it will be tough as well to score inside since teams will float and be ready to help inside once Norbert, Arnold, and Jason gets the catch at the low post. I hope today, the perimeter guys will knock more jumpers and issue better entry passes for the bigs to operate. As what they say in any offense that you want to run, floor spacing is always the key.

More importantly, I hope the weather improves. It's so dark this early I thought it's already 7:00pm instead of 9:00am.

One thing "the best" never do as they become more successful: slow down. Just not in the vocabulary of "the best". - Kevin Eastman, assistant coach, Boston Celtics (2004-Present)

Far Eastern University outlasted an Ateneo squad that came out with more fight in them.

Terrence Romeo starred in the clutch as the Far Eastern U Tamaraws slipped past the Ateneo Blue Eagles in overtime, 79-75, to grab the solo 2-0 lead in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament yesterday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Romeo finished with 21 points, including six of the Tamaraws’ 13 points in the extra period, as FEU dumped Ateneo, which is seeking a sixth straight championship, into a 0-2 hole for the first time in a decade.

“Ateneo is a very dangerous team, we were just fortunate,” said FEU coach Nash Racela after his Tamaraws survived an Ateneo side that pushed them to their limits even minus injured star Kiefer Ravena.

Earlier, rookie Jason Perkins and Jeron Teng pumped in 20 points each as La Salle repulsed University of the Philippines, 96-84, for its first victory in two games.

Perkins, who also combined for 30 rebounds with big man Norbert Torres, buried the Archers’ last eight points to help them pull away from the stubborn Maroons.

The Eagles, whose last 0-2 start came in 2003, have never lost back-to-back games in their championship romp in the last five seasons.

Mike Tolomia added 16 points and RR Garcia shot 13 for the Tamaraws, who blew an 11-point advantage, 44-55, in the last nine minutes of regulation. But the Tamaraws had the game in control by the extra period with a 7-1 start for a 73-67 advantage. Romeo also nailed four cushion free throws in the last 18.9 seconds.

“They learned how to play without Kiefer and that’s hard,” said Racela.

Unlike in their 64-54 shock loss to National University, the Eagles found a go-to guy in Ryan Buenafe, who exploded for a career-high 29 points.

Chris Newsome’s two free throws with 10.7 seconds left in the fourth period pushed the game into overtime, 66-66.

Ravena, who played for only eight minutes last Sunday, had declared that he’s ready to play versus the Tamaraws. But Ateneo’s top gunner came wearing a medical boot on his right leg and sat out the entire game.

The last time the Eagles dropped two straight games was in September 2007 when they lost to NU (96-88, OT) and La Salle (70-69).

Perkins should be the Archers' main man by the 2nd. Let the first few games of the 1st serve as his training ground for making quicker decisions with the ball. Nobody can guard him one-on-one unless Nonoy Baclao gets a call up (or down or whateva) and he is a willing and above-average passer. Vosotros, Banal and Torres will make a killing from the shorter corner 3s, Jeron Teng will have a wide open lane to operate while Van Opstal will make a killing from drop passes. Norbert Torres, who needs the ball in his hands to score and doesn't score well off of drop passes, may suffer but, if he accepts his role, he can easily clean the boards off the Perkins misses when double-teamed.

ALJUN MELECIO exploded for nine of his 19 points in the final two minutes as La Salle-Zobel held off defending champion Far Eastern University-Diliman, 61-59, and seize the early lead in the UAAP juniors basketball tournament yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Baby Tamaraws held a comfortable eight-point lead at the 1:49 mark of the fourth quarter before Melecio drilled three consecutive triples for the Junior Archers to grab a 59-58 lead.

David Completo then split his charities to force the game's last deadlock at 59-59 before La Salle-Zobel’s Karl Maldinger calmly buried two free throws in the last 7.3 seconds. The Baby Tamaraws tried to turn things around but failed to launch an attempt in the dying seconds.

Renzo Subido finished with 20 points while Melecio added 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Junior Archers, who are unbeaten in two games.

Ateneo slipped past the University of the East (UE), 71-64, in the other game.

Michael Nieto had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Thirdy Ravena chipped in 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Eaglets.

La Salle dealt fierce rival Ateneo a stinging reminder that its glory years in the league may be over.

Rallying from a double-digit deficit, the Green Archers repulsed the defending champion Blue Eagles, 82-73, yesterday and sent Ateneo to its worst start of 0-3 in 16 years in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.

Almond Vosotros fueled a huge third-quarter run that saw the Archers outscore the Eagles, 31-16, to finish with 19 points on top of nine rebounds.

Arnold Van Opstal came off the bench to finish with 18 points and Luigi dela Paz delivered key baskets in the final two minutes as the Archers built a 79-72 buffer after the Eagles had threatened within three, 70-73.

“We came into the game knowing this is our time,” said Van Opstal after the Archers improved to 2-1. “They (Eagles) had their time, so we said ‘Let’s make this ours.’”

Before the Archers’ thrilling triumph, the Eagles had won 12 of their 13 meetings in Ateneo’s five-year reign as champs. Now the Eagles are within a loss of matching their four straight defeats at the start of the 1997 season.

Earlier, Far Eastern University roared to its third straight triumph as Terrence Romeo pumped in 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to power the Tamaraws past the University of the Philippines’ Maroons, 75-57.

The Archers trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, 34-48, before dropping a 16-2 bomb that tied the game at 50-all.

Van Opstal completed a three-point play to give the Archers their first lead since the opening minutes, 54-52, then linked up with Vosotros, Dela Paz and Jeron Teng to put the game away.

“Basically, we executed what we were supposed to do on offense,” said La Salle coach Juno Sauler. “We know our strengths and just maximized our abilities.”

Still playing minus injured star Kiefer Ravena, the Eagles looked set to snap out of their 0-2 start as Chris Newsome exploded for a game-high 27 points, including 18 in the first half where they led at 40-28.

RR Garcia also collected 15 points, seven boards and four assists for the Tamaraws, who jumped to a 23-12 start that ballooned to a 29-point lead, 62-33, in the second half.

La Salle had a chance to win the game vs FEU last night if only Jeron Teng passed the ball to the corner on a very wide open Luigi Dela Paz. The game resembled the loss La Salle suffered against San Beda in the FilOil. Up by double digits with 2 minutes left, they were not able to protect lead.

La Salle had a chance to win the game vs FEU last night if only Jeron Teng passed the ball to the corner on a very wide open Luigi Dela Paz. The game resembled the loss La Salle suffered against San Beda in the FilOil. Up by double digits with 2 minutes left, they were not able to protect lead.

he was triple team on his last play with 3 green archers open (deep corner and two from above the FT line) but he decided to take matters in his own hands. Poor decision indeed and the team mates looks upset (bwakaw move again by Jeron) and compunded by his horrible FT. Can the coaching staff teach him to pass and trust his team mates. Need to improve his basketball IQ

RALF Olivares emerged as the end-game hero for University of the East and Jericho Cruz also came out big for Adamson as the Warriors and the Falcons pulled off separate pulsating triumphs in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament yesterday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Cruz dropped all but two of his 18 points in the second half as the Falcons stunned the National University Bulldogs, 68-66, to climb to solo third at 3-2.

The Warriors slipped past the La Salle Green Archers, 85-83, with Olivares knocking in six of UE’s last eight points inside the last 46 seconds.

“We were very fortunate against NU, we were lucky,” said coach Leo Austria, whose Falcons escaped as NU’s Robin Roņo missed a wide-open triple attempt at the buzzer.

Cruz buried the last four points in an 8-0 run that pushed the Falcons ahead, 68-63, going into the final minute after trailing at 60-63.

“He showed us he also has a big heart like (Roi) Sumang and (Charles) Mammie,” coach Boycie Zamar said of Olivares as the Warriors tied the Bulldogs at the fourth spot at 3-3.

Olivares buried a huge triple that gave the Warriors an 82-81 lead, then later nailed a buffer free throw with 12.6 seconds left after the Green Archers had threatened within a point, 84-83.

Coming off the bench like Olivares, guard Dan Alberto also delivered in the clutch by firing a floater that pushed the Warriors within a point, 77-78, and canning two cushion free throws, 84-81, with 28.5 seconds left.